This SeaWiFS image of the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast shows a lot of colored organic matter and suspended sediment in the water. Note the dark reddish patches at the mouths of the Cape Fear River and Winyah Bay. North Carolinas sounds also exhibit a fair amount of color variation. The apparent lighter color of the ocean from the Carolinas northward is caused by atmospheric aerosols which scatter incoming solar radiation back into space. Source: Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE